May 7 - Funding has been approved by the Georgia General Assembly for the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project (SHEP), as well as significant infrastructure improvements, that will enhance access to the Port of Savannah and increase Georgia's role in global

Governor Sonny Perdue said: "Funding for the Port of Savannah's harbour deepening and road infrastructure will ensure Georgia is ready when larger and more efficient ships begin to regularly call on our state."

The state's approved FY2011 budget includes bond funding of USD68.4 million for the SHEP and USD200 million of additional funding through the Georgia Department of Transportation for transport enhancements within the state.

In 2014, the Panama Canal expansion will be complete and increase the maximum draft of vessels travelling to and from the US East Coast from 12.03m to as much as 15.24m. The new locks will send ships to Savannah that are as much as three times the capacity of ships currently able to transit the Canal.

While Savannah is an important container port, mangers are seeking to attract non-containerised project and heavy lift cargo. At the Port of Brunswick, the movement of auto and machinery units has experienced growth for the past four months. Colonel's Island Terminal moved 31,417 total units in March 2010, which is a 54.8 percent increase on March 2009.

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